Boy Scout Simon Starnes – Family photosA boy scout and his family were volunteering at a local food pantry when he realized the outdoor seating was in need of a little TLC.
Looking for a project to help get him nearer to his title of Eagle Scout, and despite having little experience in carpentry, 14-year-old Simon Starnes got to work.
Sister BJ’s Pantry, run by Sister Barbara Joseph Foley, offers free meals to the homeless with a special community emphasis on Friday and Sunday mornings, when these less fortunate patrons come to sip free coffee and take a long breakfast on the days when the nearest food bank isn’t open.
“I went to volunteer there for the Sunday mission, which is making breakfast for the homeless and then handing it out to them. But as I was doing it, I saw the tables were in bad shape and a lot of them were warped and splintering,” Starnes, part of Boy Scout Troop 21, told the Oklahoman.
“I kind of wanted to help fix that. I thought that if I built those (tables), it could definitely help make the experience a lot better for them,” he said.
Having never built a table, he asked around his troop for advice and discovered that another prospective Eagle Scout was the architect of the original picnic tables, and another member of his troop had done the landscaping.
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Together with his father Scott, a friend, and three troop members, Starnes built 4 brand new picnic tables to the exact same dimensions as the originals.
The new picnic benches at BJ’s Pantry – released by the family.Sister BJ opened the pantry in 2006, and says she has leaned heavily on the community and members of local church parishes.
“All my support all these years have come from private donations, and then, help within the Oklahoma City community,” she said. “That, in itself, is a good feeling. I love having all of the community support.”
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